Dr. Debra Pavlovic
Meet Dr. Debra Pavlovic
Dr. Debra Pavlovic experienced migraine headaches from the age of 5 until she turned 30. With the onset of puberty, her symptoms intensified, including PMS and TMJ. Her migraines often led to severe nausea and occasional fainting, leaving her in constant pain. Having endured this suffering for so long, Debra became accustomed to it, believing that daily pain was a universal experience. Her father, determined to find a solution, took her to numerous specialists at the nearby University of Michigan, but none could offer relief. The family was repeatedly told that it was “all in her head.” Little did they know, that was precisely the problem—Debra’s migraines were a massive headache, after all.
At the age of 30, Debra’s first husband, Tom Pavlovic, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). While chaperoning a youth group trip to Nashville, Tennessee, she encountered a student from Life University who spoke of a group of doctors in Jacksonville, Florida, specializing in a specific chiropractic adjustment for MS patients known as Atlas Orthogonal. Curious, Debra thought this treatment might not only help her husband but also alleviate her migraines. They both scheduled appointments, and the results were astounding—Debra’s migraines, PMS, and TMJ vanished. Inspired, they referred 29 MS patients to the doctors in Jacksonville, and 28 went into remission, though sadly, Tom was not one of them.
At that time, Debra had spent over 15 years working in interior design. However, witnessing the extraordinary results of Atlas Orthogonal firsthand prompted her to consider a career change. This new path could provide a way to care for her husband while also pursuing her newfound passion.
The couple moved to the Atlanta area, where Debra found work as a kitchen designer while taking chiropractic prerequisite courses at Life University. Both she and Tom received treatments from Dr. Roy Sweat and Dr. Matt Sweat, which helped manage her symptoms and allowed her to work, study, and care for her husband. Dr. Sweat recommended she attend Sherman College of Chiropractic, as they used the AO instrument he designed. In October 2000, Debra, Tom, and their Schnauzer, Winnie, relocated to Spartanburg, South Carolina, for her studies. Despite Tom’s declining health, Debra persevered and graduated in March 2005, with her mentor Dr. Roy Sweat by her side.
Tragically, Tom passed away three and a half months after Debra opened her first practice in Dr. Sweat’s office. Seeking to be closer to family, she moved to Lakeland, Florida. There, new mentors in St. Petersburg introduced her to additional techniques that extended her migraine-free periods from weeks to months. Eager to learn these new methods and continue her own care, Debra saw an opportunity to establish an Atlas Center in Polk County, where no other doctors offered this treatment. Plus, the area’s lighter traffic compared to Atlanta was a bonus.
From childhood, Debra knew she loved people and wanted to help them. Whether designing kitchens, homes, or aligning the body’s structure, her passion for innovative design has always been at the forefront. Today, she dedicates herself to the most precise work available in the field: Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic care.
